It is believed that a car is an extension of one’s self. The rich and the famous take this belief to heart and so they purchase premium vehicles, which make them the envy of the common man. The meaning of luxury cars varies depending on whose point of view is being considered. For the masses, anything beyond their price threshold for a car is considered a luxury car. To the privileged few, it’s about the brand.

There are car brands that conjure up images of sports cars zooming around a racing circuit burning rubber, while other brands are much more connected to royalty and the ruling class. Automobile manufacturers like BMW, Ferrari, Jaguar, and Mercedes Benz have car models that specifically target wealthy individuals. The pricing scheme is rather oppressive, but such is the appeal of prestige cars, at least to the insanely rich.

It is a given that cars that command high prices between $60,000 and $100,000 are beyond the reach of the members of the middle class, so the most they could do is gawk and dream of cars that only a few people have the resources to own. But beyond pricing and social class status, luxury cars are pretty much the same with vehicles in other segments in terms of usability and drivability. The difference is largely in safety features and customization. Safety has always been an important factor in deciding on which car to buy. Evidently, the more safety features in place, the higher the standard retail price.

While an ordinary entry-level car would have one or two airbags, prestige cars are very well cushioned in case of accidents. There are cars with airbags all around to ensure the safety of the driver and the passengers. Of course, no one would argue with this kind of built-in safety feature, but it does further create a disturbance in the price points. It has to be emphasised that safety is not just limited to sticking plenty of airbags when they get the chance. More often than not, luxury cars are the first to introduce safety features that would make other cars pale in comparison.

To keep cars under the prestige category, more features are added that are not necessarily needed in a car, but they do make things much more appealing to the prospective buyer. The addition of nifty gadgets is considered discretionary and not an outright requirement to keep the vehicle moving. There is this perception that these features make the car more important and more valuable.

These additional features include voice-activated GPS, back up camera, monitor, and USB ports. Although some of the high-end cars have these as optional features, prestige cars list them as standard features. It goes without saying that cars with loaded features tend to be regarded highly by both manufacturers and prospective buyers. This is even more pronounced if the features are related to safety and security. When it comes to safety, luxury cars are considered the safest in all segments.

Imagine being in the position to have your pick of a luxury fleet of cars. That’s a fantasy that most males have had at least once in their lives – other fantasies may be unprintable! Be it an Aston Martin, Bentley, Ferrari, Mercedes, Porsche, Lamborghini or Maserati, your driving fantasy can become a reality. It really can! Read on…

This isn’t spam, trust me, this isn’t a scam, trust me… You needed be a stock broker or merchant banker with cash coming out of your ears in order to make your ultimate driving dreams come true. Gone are the days where you roll up to buy a brand spanking new motor with a wad of notes in your back pocket – or in a briefcase depending on whether you’re buying a car or a prestige car!

Forget buying, leasing is the way forward – especially given the current economic downturn where new cars depreciate as soon as their driven out of the showroom and continue to do so at a rapid rate. You just have to step back and take a look at the state of the car industry to see that less and less people are buying brand new vehicles. That doesn’t mean to say that people are simply not upgrading their cars, more so that prestige car leasing is on the increase due to its many advantages.

Prestige car leasing has become increasingly more popular, which is no real surprise given that you can get behind the wheel of a brand new Mercedes-Benz C Class for just 259.99 pounds per month, or an Audi A4 cabriolet for 279.99 pounds per month. Or for something that little bit sportier how about a brand new Audi TT for 359.99 pounds per month? Or for something with a bit more prestige how about a Mercedes-Benz CLK for 379.99 pounds per month?

That may seem expensive but when you take into account the fact that brand new cars depreciate by 20 per cent over the course of their first year of ownership. So, for example an Audi A4 cabriolet costs around 30,000 pounds on the road, which means it is likely to depreciate by around 6,000 pounds after the first year of ownership.

To lease a prestige car such as an Audi A4 cabriolet costs as low as 279.99 per month meaning it will cost you 4,200 pounds to lease for the first year including the initial down payment on the car. That’s a considerable difference, plus you haven’t got the worry of servicing and repair as that is covered by the leasing company – and you haven’t got the hassle of selling or part exchanging the car (which the value of your car always takes a hit on) when you come to upgrade it.

Now you’re interested aren’t you! Especially as you don’t have to stump up a huge down payment or get fleeced paying interest on hire purchase or loans. Prestige car leasing is the easy way to get behind the wheel of the car of your dreams, for more reasons than one – drivers are voting with their feet, as the prestige car leasing business is heading on an up curve when the car industry is falling down around its ears!

That fantasy now looks like it’s well within reaching distance, unlike the one starring Jessica Alba!

Do you think you have the knowledge it takes for car alarm installation and want to install yours yourself? There are a lot of people who have become very frustrated at all of the wires, sensors, and other things that are required to be able to install a car alarm properly. These people usually end up taking their alarm to a professional to get it installed. If you are someone who has some technical knowledge when it comes to electronics or alarm systems, then you might be able to install your own. Here are some pros and cons that you will want to know about before you get started.

If you are installing a system that has a lot of options such as a Prestige car alarm then you will want to make sure you really know what you are doing. There are systems that not only come with a car alarm but also have remote starters and other options available. That means there will be a lot of different components to install and a lot of wires to hook up. This could be a little bit overwhelming for anyone who has never installed anything as challenging as this.

By taking your car to a professional to have them install it there are several benefits you will be able to get. First off, you will be able to make sure that your alarm is installed properly and that it works. There are several different tests that a professional will perform to make sure that you get maximum protection for your vehicle. Something else that you will be able to get when you use a professional is a warranty or guarantee on the work they perform. This is something that is important in case something should go wrong with the installation.

These are the things you will want to be aware of when it comes to the car alarm installation that you need. If you are someone who is always up for a good challenge and think you can install the alarm yourself, then give it a shot but remember the consequences. If you do it yourself then you will not be able to get a guarantee on the work and you will not know all of the tests to perform to make sure that everything works correctly. If you are ever in doubt then it might be best for you to take your Prestige car alarm to a professional and let them install it for you.

Anyone who has ever had the pleasure to drive a prestige car will truly understand the difference in luxury driving experience and performance that these masters of mechanical engineering have to offer. These companies are renowned for creating the very best vehicles and these cars are built with one thing in mind, to provide an ultimate and unforgettable driving experience.

If you’ve ever owned a prestige car then you will be hard pressed to ever change your brand and you may find that you develop a lifelong passion and commitment to this brand.

I suppose there is a flip side to owning this brand of car. Quite simply they don’t come cheap and the higher the spec you buy into then the deeper the pockets you will need. This said they are built from quality components and quality means durability and longevity.

There will come a time however when your car requires new parts. One of the most common parts to require changing on any car is the tires and the brake pads. Prestige cars are no different as they succumb to the same stresses and strains that all cars are exposed to in their daily travels. Choosing parts for your car can be a confusing and often frustrating experience as there are countless brands available at any given time.

Should you let your garage decide and throw caution to the wind by trusting the opinion of the mechanic that is fitting your brake pads? No doubt there are many mechanics that live by the advice they give and will always offer you the very best information at their disposal. Equally there are mechanics or organizations that will offer you the parts that pay the most in commission being that the more they sell of these parts the higher the discount that they are offered from the supplier. Call me skeptical but these people are as real as the nose on your face and are actively trading everywhere.

I myself believe that any choice is a better choice if it’s informed. So how can you make a better choice for your prestige car using easily available information?

A little research never did anyone any harm and with this in mind a few moments spent searching the different brands of brake pads will soon give you enough information so that you can make the right choice.

The very best way of determining the right fit for your car is to create a list of best fit attributes that suit your needs. I have listed some of the more common necessities and hopefully this list will help you compile a similar list tailored to your needs.

1. The first point to consider is the noise that is created from certain types of pads. Semi metallic pads are often much noisier than other pads as they are built for durability using hard metals bonded together to make the pad. Once in contact with the brake rotor you will certainly stop in time but you might not be turning heads for the right reasons as people will hear you arriving well before you get there.

2. If you splash out on a prestige car then you have to keep in mind that you want it staying in the same glorious condition as when you fist bought it. Some brake pads create a lot of brake dust and brake dust means dirty unsightly wheels. Ceramic pads create a very small amount of dust and they are excellent performers. However they are a considerable cost. Organic pads or semi organic pads are another great alternative and being cheaper than ceramics they may be just the pad you are looking for.

3. Now if you live in the warm states of America then this next point may be nothing more than an idle fantasy to you lucky people. For those of you that live in the borders of the UK or you live in other similar climatic challenged places then this point will be crucial to your choice. The UK is famous for its cold weather and equally (very rarely) warm weather. With this in mind you may want a brake that is versatile enough to cope with both climates without any loss of performance. Consider when making your choice how your brakes will react to weather conditions such as rain, sleet or snow.

4. Continued performance is another factor to bear in mind as no one wants to pay for pads that last a few miles and then need changing again. My own target mileage would be 50,000 – 80,000 miles and anything below just wouldn’t be worth the money.

5. Lastly you need a pad that will not affect the performance of the other components that make up the entire braking system. Get brakes that are too hard and you may pay the price in premature failure of your rotor.